Runeflare Trap MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant — Trap
Released	2009-10-02
Set symbol
Set name	Zendikar
Set code	ZEN
Number	146
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Franz Vohwinkel

Key Takeaways

Runeflare Trap uses the opponent’s hand size to deal substantial damage, altering the game’s balance.
The card’s alternative cost and instant speed make it a versatile and surprising play option.
While powerful, it requires careful hand and mana management to maximize its impact effectively.

Text of card

If an opponent drew three or more cards this turn, you may pay rather than pay Runeflare Trap's mana cost. Runeflare Trap deals damage to target player equal to the number of cards in that player's hand.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Runeflare Trap is designed to potentially deal massive damage to an opponent based on the number of cards in their hand, turning their card quantity into a liability. This can lead to a swing in your favor, disrupting their strategy while you capitalize on their resources.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana or acceleration, the alternative casting cost of Runeflare Trap allows you to play it for a single red mana if an opponent drew three or more cards this turn. This can enable a quicker and unexpected turnaround, especially since you can allocate your resources elsewhere.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Runeflare Trap at instant speed offers flexibility, allowing you to respond to your opponent’s actions or end their turn with a surprise offensive. Instant speed plays are valuable for maintaining the element of surprise and turning the tide at critical moments in your matches.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Runeflare Trap demands that you have a card to discard, which can be a setback when your hand is already depleted or if you need to maintain key cards for later strategies.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires a precise combination of mana, with at least one red, to cast for its full cost. This can sometimes constrain deck building options or make it less flexible during play.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Runeflare Trap can be a game-changer, the standard mana cost is a rather substantial investment of resources, especially when compared to other options within the same mana range that may provide an immediate impact on the game state.

Reasons to Include Runeflare Trap in Your Collection

Versatility: Runeflare Trap offers a unique angle of attack, fitting in well with decks that prompt your opponent to draw many cards. It’s a handy surprise against decks with a heavy draw strategy, allowing you to turn their card advantage into potential damage.

Combo Potential: In combination with cards that force opponents to draw or spells that increase the number of cards in hand, Runeflare Trap can unleash significant damage, making it a potent finisher in the right deck.

Meta-Relevance: Given that many popular decks in the metagame rely on card draw for their engine, Runeflare Trap proves relevant by providing a counter-strategy that punishes opponents for overextending their card draw capabilities.

How to beat

Runeflare Trap presents Magic: The Gathering players with a unique challenge on the battlefield. As part of a trap card series, it capitalizes on an opponent’s card-intensive strategies by dealing damage equivalent to the number of cards in their hand. This sudden spike in damage can quickly turn the tables, but there are reliable strategies to mitigate its impact.

Bearing in mind that Runeflare Trap’s power hinges on the size of your hand, maintaining a smaller hand size is key. Employing a strategy that focuses on playing cards rather than holding onto them can significantly reduce the trap’s damage potential. Instant-speed removal or counterspells are also potent options, allowing you to react swiftly to neutralize the trap before it springs.

In essence, while Runeflare Trap can be a formidable force when wielded correctly, thorough knowledge of your deck and strategic hand management can take the sting out of its burst damage, maintaining your lead and securing your position in the game.

Cards like Runeflare Trap

Runeflare Trap presents a powerful twist in the red spell arsenal of MTG. It’s in line with cards like Wheel of Fortune, which also involves dealing with a large hand size. However, Runeflare Trap can be a game changer with its potential to deal substantial damage based on the number of cards in your opponent’s hand. Unlike Wheel of Fortune, which forces both players to discard their hand and draw seven new cards, Runeflare Trap capitalizes on the opponent’s sizable hand without refreshing their resources.

Another peer in this group is Psychosis Crawler, which similarly inflicts pain on opponents for a hand filled with cards. Though it’s a creature that deals damage incrementally, the Crawler’s damage output spans each draw, offering consistent pressure. In contrast, Runeflare Trap delivers its impact in one explosive moment. Then there’s Reforge the Soul, offering a Wheel of Fortune effect but with the ability to cast for its miracle cost, which could lead to a sudden shift in the game dynamic.

When evaluating Runeflare Trap against its counterparts, its conditional yet potentially devastating effect offers an intriguing option for MTG players aiming for a sudden victory through direct damage. Its unique damage-triggering condition places it as a distinct choice within red’s direct-damage spells.

Cards similar to Runeflare Trap by color, type and mana cost

Diabolical Salvation - MTG Card versions

Flames of the Raze-Boar - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Runeflare Trap MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Runeflare Trap and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Runeflare Trap has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Runeflare Trap card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2009-10-01	Casting a Trap by paying its alternative cost doesn’t change its mana cost or converted mana cost. The only difference is the cost you actually pay.
2009-10-01	Effects that increase or reduce the cost to cast a Trap will apply to whichever cost you chose to pay.
2009-10-01	The player you target with Runeflare Trap doesn’t have to be the opponent that drew three or more cards this turn.
2009-10-01	You may ignore a Trap’s alternative cost condition and simply cast it for its normal mana cost. This is true even if its alternative cost condition has been met.